Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth - and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

Why do smart people make irrational decisions every day? The answers will surprise you. Predictably Irrational is an intriguing, witty and utterly original look at why we all make illogical decisions. Why can a 50p aspirin do what a 5p aspirin can't? If an item is free, it must be a bargain, right? Why is everything relative, even when it shouldn't be? How do our expectations influence our actual opinions and decisions? In this astounding audiobook, behavioural economist Dan Ariely cuts to the heart of our strange behavior....

Exclusive Analysis Ltd says:"largely fascinating book and very well read"

Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction

Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week's meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be terrible forecasters. As Wharton professor Philip Tetlock showed in a landmark 2005 study, even experts' predictions are only slightly better than chance. However, an important and underreported conclusion of that study was that some experts do have real foresight.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his seminal work in psychology challenging the rational model of judgment and decision making, is one of the world's most important thinkers. His ideas have had a profound impact on many fields - including business, medicine, and politics - but until now, he has never brought together his many years of research in one book.

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader, whether the CEO at a Fortune 100 company, an entrepreneur, a church pastor, the head of a school, or a government official. Richard Rumelt argues that the heart of a good strategy is insight - into the true nature of the situation, into the hidden power in a situation, and into an appropriate response. He shows you how insight can be cultivated with a wide variety of tools for guiding your own thinking.

Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking

Many scientific and philosophical ideas are so powerful that they can be applied to our lives at home, work, and school to help us think smarter and more effectively about our behavior and the world around us. Surprisingly, many of these ideas remain unknown to most of us. In Mindware, the world-renowned psychologist Richard Nisbett presents these ideas in clear and accessible detail, offering a tool kit for better thinking and wiser decisions.

LD's says:"A collection of statistical studies more than "tools for smart thinking""

Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making

Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.

The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone - Especially Ourselves

Fascinating and provocative, Dan Ariely's The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty is an insightful and brilliantly researched take on cheating, deception, and willpower. The internationally best-selling author pulls no punches when it comes to home truths. His previous titles Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality have become classics in their field, revealing astonishing traits that run through modern humankind. Now acclaimed behavioural economist Dan Ariely delves deeper into psychology.

Made to Stick

Mark Twain once observed, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on." His observation rings true: urban legends, conspiracy theories, and bogus public-health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas (business people, teachers, politicians, journalists, and others) struggle to make their ideas "stick". In this indispensable guide, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds draw their power from the same six traits.

Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us

A book that will change how you think and transform how you live.Forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people - at work, at school, at home. It is wrong. As Daniel H. Pink explains in his paradigm-shattering book Drive, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and the world.

I Know What to Do, So Why Don't I Do It?: The New Science of Self-Discipline

You might think laziness, lack of willpower, and/or low motivation are to blame for the fact that you aren't achieving your goals. But fascinating research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology has revealed another, far more likely possibility. One with the potential to transform your life in a dramatic way.

The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home

Behavioural economist and New York Times best-selling author of Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely returns to offer a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that influence our dating lives, our workplace experiences, and our general behaviour, up close and personal.

Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights

Insights-like Darwin's understanding of the way evolution actually works, and Watson and Crick's breakthrough discoveries about the structure of DNA-can change the world. We also need insights into the everyday things that frustrate and confuse us so that we can more effectively solve problems and get things done. Yet we know very little about when, why, or how insights are formed-or what blocks them. In Seeing What Others Don't, renowned cognitive psychologist Gary Klein unravels the mystery.

Gavin Morrice says:"Insightful! A great overview of the workings of insights"

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less

By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives

Few companies in history have ever been as successful and as admired as Google, the company that has transformed the Internet and become an indispensable part of our lives. How has Google done it? Veteran technology reporter Steven Levy was granted unprecedented access to the company, and in this revelatory book he takes listeners inside Google headquarters - the Googleplex - to explain how Google works.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say yes - and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His 35 years of rigorous, evidence-based research, along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior, has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You'll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader - and how to defend yourself against them.

The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed the World

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky met in war-torn 1960s Israel. Both were gifted young psychology professors: Kahneman a rootless son of Holocaust survivors who saw the world as a problem to be solved, Tversky a voluble, instinctual blur of energy. In this breathtaking new audiobook, Michael Lewis tells the extraordinary story of a relationship that became a shared mind: one which created the field of behavioural economics, revolutionising everything from Big Data to medicine.

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

This audiobook is about luck, or more precisely, how we perceive and deal with luck in life and business. It is already a landmark work, and its title has entered our vocabulary. In its second edition, Fooled by Randomness is now a cornerstone for anyone interested in random outcomes.

TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking

Since taking over TED in the early 2000s, Chris Anderson has shown how carefully crafted short talks can be the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, spreading knowledge, and promoting a shared dream. Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience's worldview. Done right, a talk is more powerful than anything in written form.

The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership: Achieving and Sustaining Excellence Through Leadership Development

The missing link to long-term Lean success! Despite the fact that companies worldwide have adopted Lean production, none has sustained the same levels of excellence as Toyota. Why? Leadership. In The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership, Jeffrey Liker and Gary L. Convis, a former executive V.P. and managing officer of Toyota, help executives and senior managers get employees to refocus their efforts - from simply performing their singular function to continuously improving in collaboration across the organization.

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

Maverick thinker Nassim Nicholas Taleb had an illustrious career on Wall Street before turning his focus to his black swan theory. Not all swans are white, and not all events, no matter what the experts think, are predictable. Taleb shows that black swans, like 9/11, cannot be foreseen and have an immeasurable impact on the world.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Why do naturally talented people frequently fail to reach their potential while other far less gifted individuals go on to achieve amazing things? The secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a passionate persistence. In other words, grit. MacArthur Genius Award-winning psychologist Angela Duckworth shares fascinating new revelations about who succeeds in life and why.

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

All our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such problems for decades.

Judy Corstjens says:"Delightful insights into and from computer science"

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Popular blogger Cal Newport reveals the new key to achieving success and true meaning in professional life: the ability to master distraction. Many modern knowledge workers now spend most of their brain power battling distraction and interruption, whether because of the incessant pinging of devices, noisy open-plan offices or the difficulty of deciding what deserves their attention the most. When Cal Newport coined the term deep work on his popular blog, Study Hacks, in 2012, he found the concept quickly hit a nerve.

Publisher's Summary

Every day, we make decisions on topics ranging from personal investments to schools for our children to the meals we eat to the causes we champion. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. The reason, the authors explain, is that, being human, we are all susceptible to various biases that can lead us to blunder.

Our mistakes make us poorer and less healthy; we often make bad decisions involving education, personal finance, health care, mortgages and credit cards, the family, and even the planet itself.

Thaler and Sunstein invite us to enter an alternative world, one that takes our humanness as a given. They show that by knowing how people think, we can design choice environments that make it easier for people to choose what is best for themselves, their families, and their society.

Using colorful examples from the most important aspects of life, Thaler and Sunstein demonstrate how thoughtful "choice architecture" can be established to nudge us in beneficial directions without restricting freedom of choice. Nudge offers a unique new take - from neither the left nor the right - on many hot-button issues, for individuals and governments alike. This is one of the most engaging and provocative audiobooks to come along in many years.

Included in this recording are a bonus chapter and a Postscript that was added in the paperback edition.

How many economists can you invite to a dinner party without spoiling it for everyone else? Why do I pull on doors that say push? Why is their no logic to my saving and borrowing? Why do I put up with default settings on my computer that annoy me?

All of these question and many more have been answered by this book along with why government campaigns on obesity are making matters worse. How to solve the pension crisis and how to get people to drink less without turning into a fascist.

"Libertarian paternalism" they call it or how to design and frame choices so that they have positive outcomes that individuals and society would want when they are thinking logically.

It?s a very important book and highly influential on some decision makers in the UK and the States, I knew that when I bought it; what I didn?t expect was that it would be so funny. I have laughed out loud half a dozen times and not just at the rich vein of references to Homer Simpson who is repeatedly referenced.

I did nod off during the long chapter on the American pension system though there are useful parallels but generally it is highly entertaining and very thought provoking.

This is the "applications" book that (for me) follows on from the theory presented in nobel prize winner Daniel Kahnemann's "Thinking, fast and slow" - so if you haven't read that, my hunch is that you won't get this - it may seem too superficial, even though each topic is taken in some detail. I think it is excellent and gives good advice for anyone who is a "choice architect" - including governments - on how to help people make better choices. Along the way the authors also give some financial planning advice!

Not my favourite book, in fact It has been a while since I have struggled to read an audible book like this one. Behavioural economics books are generally fascinating, but this one applies very few principles to endless obvious examples; the cover is the high point. Read Dan Ariely instead.

Quite a good read but is far longer than needs to be as repeats / reiterates the same points over rather than further exploring and developing the ideas. By the time it got to the section of US medical records I had started to lose the will to live and nearly gave up !

Some interesting points are made about how we are influenced in the decision making process. These points are often backed up by reference to research papers. The focus the authors make on the practical application of these points is in the context of government policies. This is not an area I'm particularly interested in and I dare say those in elected government don't pay much attention to choice architecture, instead placing priority over actions that enhance short term votes.

I felt I had heard most of the key ideas by reading a selection of reviews. How most people are 'humans' who have trouble disciplining themselves to save (for pensions etc) and are unrealistic in their assessments e.g. not believing on their wedding days that they risk divorce, and generally let their lives be run by inertia and taking the easiest path. The opposites are 'econs', who behave rationally all the time. A lot of all this is jolly amusing, but beyond these key ideas Thaler and Sunstein plough through enormous detail on pensions and (US) healthcare plans which is probably just what turns the typical human off.

I tried and tried to listen to all of this but had to give up just over half way through. It has some good points but overall it's awful to listen to and badly structured.

Here what I didn't like:

- It talks a lot about out of date stuff like 'how to handle the subprime crisis' that happened 10 years ago- Early chapters refer to tables or images that you can't see. There is a PDF to download but I don't intend to refer to that when I'm out walking or in the car- half way through a chapter it would audibly tell you it's the next chapter - no effort to align the audible recording with the chapters- From a UK perspective, there is too much talk about US politics and policy that didn't add value for me personally- The overall context (possibly a mix of the tone of voice and language used) was too much to listen to. I have read and listened to a lot of business and non-fiction books so am used to technical jargon but this audible was too much.

This is a great book, lots of great ideas and strategies. Aimed primarily I feel at policy makers nevertheless there are lots of tips for strategic thinking that individuals could build strategically into their own lives. Nice anecdotes and reference to ongoing web content and research.

I really have a difficult time saying what I liked about this book. I didn't hate it, but like other reviewers, found it lacked focus and was repetitive. I stuggled to get through it and in the end gave up, which is unusual for me. I enjoyed "Influence, The Power to Change Anything" by Kerry Patterson (and others) much more.

What was most disappointing about Richard H. Thaler, and Cass R. Sunstein???s story?

The story could have been more concise. The points made are simple enough but get lost in the detailed examples, which are often a re-hash of material from the work of others

What three words best describe Sean Pratt???s voice?

It is fine, but the book was not, so its hard to be enthusiastic about his performance.

Was Nudge worth the listening time?

No

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

rbenden

17/11/09

Overall

"Initial point is interesting but way too long"

The takeaway that I got from this book is that the way questions are expressed or items are presented will influence (nudge) our decisions. Its an interesting point and was supported by a few good initial examples (I like the term "Choice Architect" that they coined). After that, the point was reinforced with many, many (too many) examples. Most (if not all) were to support their political agenda. 'We feel this agenda is right so we should nudge the public to decide the way they should using these tactics...' Over and over and over for 12 hours... Stop listening after the 1st hour and you'll get enough.

14 of 15 people found this review helpful

Jay

Tennessee Colony, TX, United States

08/06/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"An overly long Nudge in the right direction"

Any additional comments?

<br/>I accidentally stumbled upon a group of books that support a theory I call "our little fake worldviews." My theory is, basically, that large amounts of things we believe -- and do so very firmly in some instances -- aren't even true.<br/><br/>The first in the series I found was "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. This book was followed by, The Self Illusion: Why There Is No "You" Inside Your Head, by Bruce Hood. Both of these books are highly recommended. Later, I found "Thinking, Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman, which I'm reading now.<br/><br/>The basis of the books are that people are terribly easy to manipulate. For example, if you can prime someone by asking the question in a certain way, you can skew the answers given to the question. For example, if you ask the question, "Did Gandhi live to be 144 years old?" You can make people give a much higher age of death for Gandhi than his actual age when he died. Why? Because by inserting "144 years old" into the question, the majority of people start at 144 years old and go down, having a mental image of a very old man in the process (This example was actually from "Thinking, Fast and Slow," by Daniel Kahneman).<br/><br/>The first section of Nudge is very similar to the above books, being filled with interesting studies that show how little there actually is to "us." While very good, unfortunately, some of the studies had actually been covered in the above books somewhere. At some points, it seemed that entire paragraphs were interchangeable between books, as there were sections that I remember almost word for word from other books. I'm not sure who quoted, who, though, or which books even.<br/><br/>The second section of the book is about retirement plans, investing, insurance, etc. The connection to the first section is that, if people are "nudged" in the right direction (by subtle manipulation), the public at large can be pushed in a direction that benefits both the individual and society as a whole. The authors seem to think they are taking a libertarian position while doing their nudging, but as someone who has studied a lot of libertarians philosophy, nothing really jumped out at me as being overtly libertarian in origin.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, the authors are very long winded. The first section of the book is admittedly really interesting. However, if you don't actually have investments, stock, or retirement plans at work, you can just skip the second half of the book. It is tedious and boring.<br/><br/>While I'm sure the book may be of some help to people who actually have investments, stock, retirement plans, etc., this book could be skipped in favor of the similar but better books mentioned above. If you are interested in this book because of its purported libertarian leanings, I would suggest something from Ron Paul instead.<br/><br/>All in all, I am not disappointed for buying the book, but I sure wouldn't put this at the top of my list for must reads.

32 of 36 people found this review helpful

S. Greene

Palo Alto, CA USA

02/05/09

Overall

"Awfully awfully long"

I actually agree generally with the positions the authors advocate; but the book is way too long, making it very difficult to sit through in the audiobook format. If you're interested in this topic, I'd suggest the print format so you can skip ahead if you already have read anything about behavioral economics (several chapters repeat basic stuff from the field) or if you can "get it" after one or two examples and don't particularly need to hear the third, and fourth, and fifth.

Personally I also find the narration monotonous... though it is a dry topic so can't necessarily fault the reader :).

18 of 20 people found this review helpful

Patricia

Florida, US

07/03/10

Overall

"extremely boring"

I feel like I wasted a credit and precious hours of my time listening to this book. I kept telling myself to give it a chance and it might just get better...but it didn't, it's boring all along

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Randy

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

20/03/09

Overall

"Libertarianism - interesting!"

An interesting read/listen. Listeners should be aware that this is essentially a political manifesto, laying out the philosophy of libertarianism along with many real examples of the application of this way of thinking. This book is not so much about how an individual can make better decisions but how a government (or a marketer) can "architect" or present the choices so as to influence the "best" choice. The "best" choice could be with respect to the individual, to society as a whole or who ever is trying to sell you something. This book is eye-opening as a warning against sales tactics that might be employed upon you and also a refreshing alternative to traditional politics.

34 of 44 people found this review helpful

EMIR

BRIDGEPORT, CT, United States

03/02/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Best book of my Audible library so far..."

I've been interested in the behavioral economics subject, but this book is the reference for the topic, beware it might change many things you thought you had a very strong view so far!

Excellent!!!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

SvP

U.S.

03/04/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Slow"

Where does Nudge rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I found the book hard to get through, the examples are long and (imho) not very entertaining. It made me lose track of the conclusions.

What didn’t you like about Sean Pratt’s performance?

It's well narrated, but slow. Some people may very well thinks that's a plus though.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Nudge?

Nudge's message is about marketing and self-improvement alike, and anyone who thinks they take conscious and deliberate actions every day may be shocked by the truth ;-)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Connie Estefan

22/07/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not to be missed"

Great book, a must for all of humans ;) I highly recommend this book and will happily read it again

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

hannah

17/07/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"interesting facts all around"

i bought the book first but i was hard to read so i decided to listen to it instead.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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